All Standalone GPS devices Feeds

Navman S90i

Rob Mead — 1209741860

When we asked Navman to put up a satnav for our three-way test against the TomTom Go 920 T and Garmin nuvi 770, the Navman S90i was its obvious answer - all three products are the flagship models of their respective brands. And the home-grown Navman has some neat aces up its sleeve.

The most obvious of these, of course, is the Navman S90i’s built-in 2-megapixel digital still camera, a feature both of its rivals lack. That’s because Navman is keen to tout NavPix - a unique photo sharing site that enables Navman satnav users to see real pictures of potential destinations that have been uploaded by other members.

While we’re sceptical about the real value of some add-ons for satnavs (MP3 playback, for example), sharing pictures of places you’ve visited does make some sense. Imagine being able to match the building, street or landmark you can see through the windscreen in front of you, with photos of that location downloaded from NavPix to your Navman - it should reassure you that you’ve arrived in the right place.

Geotagging

It has other obvious benefits too - relatives can send you pictures of their new homes so you can go to visit them, and you’ll be able snap pictures of hazards like low bridges, fords, etc that you can share with other drivers.

You can, of course, view pictures on many other satnav systems - including those from TomTom and Garmin - but Navman has really made this feature its own.

Another benefit is geo-tagging. Every picture you take automatically has GPS reference information added to its metadata - enabling you and others to drive directly to that destination. Navman gives the example of tourist destinations like the Eiffel Tower or the Tower Of London - everyone knows what they look like, but geo-tagged photos will actually help you drive there. Navman is ahead of the curve in this respect.

The rest of the Navman S90i’s features are more prosaic. Like its rivals, the S90i features UK and European maps supplied by TeleAtlas, built-in Traffic Message Channel data (with a free subscription for the lifetime of the product), Points Of Interest (POI) data and Bluetooth for use with mobile phones and so on.

Navman bulks up

We’re not sure whether the built-in camera is to blame, but the Navman S90i is considerably chunkier than either the TomTom Go 920 T or the Garmin Nuvi 770. It has a much wider bezel around its 4.3-inch widescreen display than either of its rivals and is also considerably thicker than both.

On the top sit the power and camera buttons, the left side has sockets for an external aerial, microphone and headphones, while the bottom houses the USB / power socket and an SD card slot.

The camera lens can be found on the back - along with S90i’s built-in speaker - where it's protected by a sliding cover that you can easily flick open and close with a thumb. The problem is it’s almost too effortless, making it easy to fire the camera when you don’t want it to - like when you’re trying to get the Navman S90i on to its widescreen mount, for example.

Using the S90i

This in turn reveals another problem. The widescreen mount is fiddly to use - you have to slide the mount into a groove on the back of the Navman S90i, but not without first securely slotting the USB power cord into its own grooves on the windscreen mount. It took us a couple of goes to get this right - we only realised first time when the power on the unit suddenly gave out on our test route, the S90i gave us no indication that it was running only on batteries until it was too late.

Even when you do make sure everything is hooked up properly, getting the Navman on to its windscreen mount is still a faff to do. Both Garmin and TomTom have much more elegant solutions, but at least the Navman stays glued to the screen once it’s setup - the widescreen mount is better than the one used by TomTom in this respect.

Fire it up for the first time and the Navman S90i immediately kicks you into street map view where it plots your current location. To set up your preferences you simply hit the slightly cryptic icon on the left of the menu bar. From then on you’re presented with three sub-menus / pages of icon buttons, enabling you to setup and access your favourite destinations, search for location by address or postcode, access your NavPix etc.

Emergency, emergency

The way the menus have been structured is a little strange though - the first page makes sense, the second page is headed up by NavPix with virtual buttons for finding your nearest petrol station or parking, and the third has buttons for SOS (local hospitals, police stations, etc), cash points and food.

Now we know NavPix is a crucial part of Navman’s worldview but you don’t really want to have to sail past that before you get to sub-menu three and the SOS button, surely? ‘I’m sorry I couldn’t stop you from bleeding to death, but I have taken some nice pictures of the gaping wound in your chest.’ OK, we’ve exaggerated a bit, but you get the point.

Although the main menu system is simple enough, a couple of other things grate - it’s all very grey and bland with some fairly hideous icons. Other bits are cumbersome to navigate: having to select a country every time you want to find a POI gets old pretty quickly, as does the resulting long and very grey list which you scroll through using icky up/down menu buttons.

The Points Of Interest test

The Navman S90i also failed our Points Of Interest test. We wanted to find a very popular tourist landmark (a city zoo) deep in the heart of Bristol, but it didn't exist on Navman’s maps. It’s not even listed as having a car park. Compare that to its rivals: the Garmin nuvi 770 found the zoo at the first attempt; the TomTom Go at least managed the car park. It could be an anomaly, but you expect it to be there. You almost start to wonder how good Navman's maps are likely to be.

On the road though it looks like we needn’t have worried. The Navman got us around our test route with nary a glitch, even if some of the slightly barking voice commands did get a bit wearing after a while. At least like the Garmin nuvi 770, the Navman S90i has the decency to tell us which roads to turn into - eg ‘turn left into Smith Street’ rather than the more generic commands served up by TomTom.

It also appears to present a more detailed view of the road ahead a la Garmin - or it could be that its largely grey presentation seems just a tad more ovewhelming than either the Garmin nuvi 770 or TomTom Go 920 T.

The Navman S90i is also the only one of the three systems we looked at that is resolutely Windows only when it comes fetching updates from a Mac or PC. The software is easy to use. However we think Navman could do with expanding its horizons a bit here.

We think you can see what conclusion we’re coming to. There are certainly some things we like about the Navman S90i - it's easy to use and it does a decent job of getting you from A to B, and it's cheap compared to its rivals, but it is competent, rather than awe-inspiring. What it lacks - aside from NavPix - is any real flair or leap of imagination over its rivals. For many the benefit of a built-in camera or even NavPix functionality per se - won't be enough to convince them otherwise.

Garmin nuvi 770

Rob Mead — 1209722992

Garmin plays second (or even third) fiddle to TomTom when it comes to satnav in the UK and it’s hard to see why. The nuvi 770 competes head-to-head against TomTom’s flagship 920 T and it’s just as worthy of pole position.

The immediate thing you notice about the Garmin nuvi 770 is how slim it is, despite the fact that it has the same size screen as its TomTom Go 920 T rival. Its skinniness can’t readily be explained by a lack of features either - it also has a built-in speaker, Bluetooth, SD memory card slot and a USB mini-jack connector so you can hook the device up to a PC or Mac.

The user interface is a blast. You’re presented with just two options when you switch it on for the first time - on the left is a magnifying glass with a simple ‘where to’ caption. On the right are map and system setup options. Garmin carries on with this simple approach throughout its UI - you never feel bemused and confused like you can be with TomTom’s ever lengthening feature list - and you’re really only a couple of virtual button presses away from where you want to be.

You’ll also notice that the Garmin’s screen is much, much brighter than that of the TomTom Go 920 T: a genuine advantage when it comes to using - and seeing - the screen on bright, sunny days.

Proper Points Of Interest

As you’d expect from the price tag, European and North American country maps from Navteq are included, as are a very long list of Points Of Interest, many of which are genuinely useful. Want to find a decent country pub where you can take your mum / wife / mistress to lunch, your nearest hospital, petrol station or cashpoint? You’ll find it all here. Naturally you can also buy additional maps for other countries, which are supplied on micro SD / SD memory card from £50 to £250 a pop.

One of the big differences between this Garmin satnav and its rivals is that the nuvi 770 also includes off-road route mapping, handy if you like to, erm, off-road. The idea is to get you from point on road A to point on road B across country, suiting both casual Chelsea tractor drivers and serious off-road adventurers. We also like the fact that Garmin has teamed up with MAD Maps to direct you to your destination along scenic routes too. The nuvi 770 even includes a currency converter and a phrase book for trips abroad, again with the option to add others.

Out on the road, the nuvi 770 does a sterling job, getting us around our test route with zero fuss. The high level of detail on Navteq’s maps is also very useful, although it can be daunting at you’re used to the less detailed 2D or 3D drawings served up by TomTom personal navigation devices.

The voice of reason?

Our only real criticism is that the Garmin’s default voices aren’t quite so comforting as those served up by TomTom. The nuvi 770 has a slight tendency to bark orders at you, rather than gently suggest them. The default voice is rendered in a digitised slightly mechanical way at times a "you... are... approaching... your... destination" type way. Luckily there are plenty of other voices to choose from as standard, although there’s nothing any of them can do with the disappointing speech synthesiser.

Garmin scores over TomTom in another respect however - it actually gives you the name of the road you are turning into - eg ‘turn right on to the high street’ rather than the more generic ‘turn right’ or, worse still, ‘turn right on to the A-one-hundred-and-twenty-seven’ - one of TomTom’s bigger sins.

The nuvi 770’s Points Of Interest (POI) data is also better than that of the TomTom Go 920 T, which we also tested. The nüvi 770 had no problem finding the popular tourist destination of Bristol Zoo Gardens in a suburb of that city. The closest the TomTom Go 920 T got was its car park - and it only gave us that after a speculative name search - this is due no doubt to the fact that the Garmin nuvi 770 comes with highly-detailed City Navigator NT maps built-in.

Like the TomTo Go 920 T, the nuvi 770 also includes Traffic Message Channel (TMC) data to help you avoid jams, plus fixed and mobile speed camera alerts from Cyclops. Both are offered on a 30-day trial basis initially - you’ll have to stump up for a sub if you decide to keep using them.

And that’s about it really. Having not played with nuvis for a little while we were surprised how well the nuvi 770 fared against our previous favourites from TomTom. The Garmin nuvi 770 looks classy, has a bright clear screen, is phenomenally easy to use and works really, really well. And although it boasts many of the same features at the TomTom Go 920 T, its user interface doesn’t feel over-burdened by them.

TomTom GO 920 T

Rob Mead — 1209642183

It’s hard to get away from the TomTom Go. It’s by far the most popular satnav device in the UK and is in hi-tech shouting distance of Apple’s ubiquitous iPod. Everyone seems to have one. But therein lies the rub.

For part of the reason TomTom posted an 83 per cent drop in profits this week is that most people who want a satnav probably have gone and bought one, and around half of them have plumped for a TomTom Go.

All TomTom can do now is defend itself against a growing number of rivals by dropping prices (it looks pretty secure on that score) and then keep adding features to persuade people who own older satnav devices to upgrade to the new one - features like music and photo playback that nearly every PND maker seems to have, but can’t adequately explain why.

Of the new ‘must-haves’ in the TomTom Go 920 T, MapShare sounds more interesting that most. It enables you to log any road layout of other changes on your device and then share them with other drivers via the TomTom Home 2.0 software you install your a PC or Mac.

Of course MapShare enables you to download changes logged by other drivers too, helping you ensure your maps are up-to-date while you wait for a major update from TomTom’s map supplier TeleAtlas.

Voice recognition

The other ‘big’ new features are more of a mixed bag. Like the TomTo Go 720 T, the 920 T also includes voice recognition software that enables you to bark commands at your TomTom, rather than enter them by hand.

It would be great if it worked as well as advertised but, like every other voice recognition system ever invented, the reality is it's a lot less certain to recognise your well-rounded vowels, forcing you to eventually abandon the idea. Like the 720 T, the 920 T also includes text-to-speech so you can hear text messages sent to your mobile phone, without having to pull over and read them.

Luckily TomTom’s strengths continue to shine through - it's beautifully made with a large wide, touchscreen display and a body that’s finished in rubberised plastic. Navigating (ahem) your way around the interface is generally a breeze - something’s that always marked TomTom's Go series out when compared to its rivals. All you have to do to set off on your way is hit the Navigate To soft-button, pick your Home address, recent destination, postcode or a point of interest and you’re off.

On the road, the TomTom Go 920 T gives beautifully clear instructions (bestowed on your ears by the silky-voiced default Kate) with a real-time map showing where you’re at, how fast you're travelling, and how far you need to go.

The display proved just about bright enough for us to make out the maps in the spring sun (with the brightest setting turned to the max), although we hope next-gen TomTom’s will include LED backlighting to make the experience an even better one in future. Maps for the whole of Europe, the USA, Canada and many other countries are included for the price.

Points of Interest?

Delve into the TomTom Go 920 T’s menus and things can get a lot more involved than that, of course. You can set your own itineraries, plot alternative routes - handy if the one you originally picked is closed or blocked by traffic - and find your way to designated Points of Interest (POI).

Now we have to say that POIs have never been TomTom’s strong suit. It’s far too reliant on fast food chains when it comes to finding restaurants in your vicinity for example, and isn’t great at finding tourist destinations. For instance a search for zoos in the Bristol area says the nearest one is 22.5 miles away when a) there’s one in the city centre suburb of Clifton, and b) there's another just a couple of miles away from that. Searching for the POI by name reveals that our non-existent city centre zoo has a car park.

Going someway to make amends is a new Help Me! function in the TomTom which automatically directs you to your nearest police station, fire station, doctors, hospital, etc - handy in the event of an emergency. You can also use the TomTom Home software to download POIs submitted by other drivers. Want to take your date out for dinner in Derby? Someone will probably have recommended a place you can go see. It would be nice if this functionality was included by default however.

The cost of ownership

The other downer, of course, is that forking out over £290 for a TomTom Go 920 T isn’t the last time you’ll be called on to fetch your wallet from your pocket for the device. You’ll also have to take out annual subscriptions for speed camera updates, traffic, weather... the list goes on. TomTom isn't alone in this, of course - rivals like Garmin also charge for extra services and updated maps too.

We’re also less than enamoured by another Apple-esque trait - making you pay for accessories that used to be included by default in the box. You’d expect that for £350 the 920 T would also come with some kind of case to protect your investment when it’s away from the car. Not so. You do get a USB docking station, for synchronising with your PC however - something older models never had.

Another thing we’d definitely change is the TomTom Go 920 T’s windscreen mount. Users on the web complain that the mount often falls off - something we experienced at least three times during our test. Thankfully the 920 T escaped unscathed - but it didn't do much for our concentration.

One solution is to clean the inside of your windscreen thoroughly every time you attach the mount, but that’s not very practical; we prefer the mounts TomTom used to ship for devices, like the TomTom Go 700. These were more substantial affairs that locked solidly onto the screen - although even these were prone to leaving the plastic sucker on your car window when trying to prise it off at the end of your journey.

So should you buy the TomTom Go 920 T? Well that depends on a) how often you plan to drive to California, and b) whether you’ve lost, broken or got bored of your existing satnav already. For most of us the answer is likely to be a) never and b) no. For the rest, the TomTom Go 920 T builds incrementally on what has gone before - and that is a good thing if getting from A to B is your top priority - all of TomTom’s Go products deliver very good results.

We feel that features like MapShare and text-to-speech are genuine must-haves, and fill neat gaps in the TomTom’s largely flawless delivery.

If the company can solve the other minor issues we’ve raised here, then its next-gen products (available this summer) could prove unassailable. From what we’ve seen from the 920 T, TomTom is very nearly there.

HP iPAQ 314 Travel Companion

1208172039

With a slim design and rounded edges, the iPAQ 314 Travel Companion (£246 inc. VAT) slips easily into the pocket.

The 4.3-inch display has a resolution of 800 x 400 pixels, and offers a sharper picture than most of its rivals. It's bright enough to use even in direct sunlight, and colours are vibrant and accurate.

Functions are carried out using on-screen menus and buttons, with only a couple of hardware keys for power and volume settings.

Clear screen

Unlike many satellite navigation devices, the screen is mostly clear from buttons when on the move. However, a host of secondary buttons appear when you tap the screen.

This is ideal, as it allows a good level of control without compromising map space. The on-screen keypad is large enough for comfortable use, but the numbers are on a separate screen.

The iPAQ accepts full postcodes, but it requires a space to be entered in the middle. The mapping is clear and concise with a variety of 2D and 3D viewpoints available. A night mode switches the maps to darker colours, reducing reflections.

As well as highlighting over ten million POIs (Points of Interest), the Travel Companion includes 3D images of the most famous landmarks.

Weak speaker

The GPS chip is a SiRF Star III - the fastest and most accurate adapter currently available. We found satellites were located rapidly, and the iPAQ was quick to re-route us if we took a wrong turning.

The speaker on the rear of the device is small though, and on our review unit was not loud enough to be heard in faster driving conditions.

Bluetooth is built-in, letting you use the Travel Companion as a hands free kit for your mobile phone. However, the poor quality speaker made this function next to useless.

The excellent screen, clear mapping and neat styling help the iPAQ Travel to impress, but those wanting audible directions to accompany the visual ones should avoid this device until the sound quality is improved.

ViaMichelin X-970T

tech.co.uk staff — 1204644785

The X-970T (£247 inc. VAT) is a mid-range satellite navigation device, and offers an excellent specification within a portable casing.

The connection with Michelin helps to give the X-970T a useful advantage over rivals - a comprehensive Michelin-rated guide for hotels and restaurants is included, along with more usual Points Of Interest (POI), such as garages and petrol stations.

The unit we tested came with European maps on a 2GB SD card, although a UK and Ireland-only version is available for £205 (inc. VAT). The front of the device is covered by a 3.5-inch touchscreen. Even in direct sunlight it remains viewable, and offers rich colours. We found the onscreen buttons large enough for bigger fingers and a stylus is not needed.

There's only one hardware button - the power button, so the surfaces are flat and free from clutter. The menu is logically laid out and easy to understand. With all of the options clearly labelled, this is a simple device for all users, even those new to the world of satellite navigation.

The device displays the next logical letters or numbers when entering addresses - saving time as you don't have to switch between numeric and alphabetic keyboards. With the latest SiRF Star III GPS chip built-in, satellites are located quickly and reception remained good. Although the X-970T was fine on the open road, it struggled in built-up areas.

We found the map lagging behind the verbal directions, making it difficult to decide which corners to take. There are plenty of features to make your journey easier, though.

These include TMC (Traffic Message Channel), which can re-route you to avoid congestion, and Bluetooth, allowing you to use it as a hands-free kit for your phone. Excellent usability helped, but it's a shame the directions are not so easy to follow around town.

Navicore Personal

tech.co.uk staff — 1204552241

I love this thing. Really I do.

The Navicore Personal is basically a GPS Bluetooth receiver that links up with any Symbian-based mobile phone to turn it into a powerful GPS navigator. We reviewed the first version of the device back in September, and now it's back, with a sleek new design.

The software itself is largely unchanged; it's still very simple and straightforward to use, and the integrated speed-camera alerts are often invaluable (the positions of which can be updated before any journey for the price of a standard text).

You can also download map updates and new voices from the Navicore website free of charge by simply throwing around your license key. It managed to knock almost an hour off the time it takes for me to visit my brother, and I was guided by the dulcet tones of the Navicore's built-in South African lady along the way.

The hardware is the only real change. It's considerably reduced in size, but the indicator lights - showing GPS and Bluetooth connection - are now more difficult to see in daylight. Still, if you've got a Symbian mobile, this is the GPS unit for you.

Garmin nuvi 660

tech.co.uk staff — 1204548375

Garmin's new nuvi GPS navigation device bills itself as a 'personal travel assistant'.

Unlike other GPS devices, this machine isn't just designed to sit on your dashboard and coo "turn left" and "turn right".

Rather, when you've arrived at your far-flung destination, so the theory goes, you pop the nuvi into your pocket and take it with you.

If you get lost while walking, it can give you street level directions. The machine also functions as a basic phrase book, reading out useful requests and questions in French and German. Beyond all that, there's a currency converter, restaurant guides and a world clock. Get tired in your hotel room and you can listen to MP3s - albeit on the nuvi's terribly tinny speaker.

But, what's it like when you're out and about? Well, the simplest answer is that it's excellent. Right from the off it scores bonus points by having quite simply the best windscreen mounting kit we've seen.

The device uses a universal ball joint that allows the nuvi to adapt comfortably to even the oddest of windscreen angles. It's an extremely simple piece of design but it works beautifully, and is certainly far better than the tortuous cradles, hinges and bars which some systems favour.

Quick and easy

Typing in your destination is simple too. In the UK, just enter the postcode followed by the house number and you're away. When you're driving, the nuvi's screen is large enough to comfortably show key turnings and details. The display also performs well in differing light conditions, such as bright glare.

When you're driving at dusk, the machine will also dim the display. This is a nice touch and can be configured to happen automatically - using a built-in clock - or manually. It's a shame that it lacks a light sensor; many devices can now do this automatically.

The nuvi also has text-to-speech software which reads out place names. We found this quite reassuring, particularly when navigating around new and built-up towns.

With all these plusses, the nuvi is certainly a very attractive buy, but at £399 it costs the same as the TomTom 910. So which should you buy? We would say the TomTom - both devices are very expensive, but the 910's maps cover a wider area. It's a tough call though.

VIAmichelin X980T

tech.co.uk staff — 1204361495

The ViaMichelin X980T stands out from the pack, in part because of the enormous 4.3-inch screen, but mainly because it looks more like a cross between a Nintendo DS and a paperback book than a boring old PDA.

The dark grey casing carries six buttons, so we're talking about a large receiver; however, the quality of its feel and the chic dark styling belie that impression. This feeling of quality is reinforced when you slide the X980T on to the swivelling car mount with a precise and reassuring click. It seems that a hefty amount of money has been spent on factory tooling for this model.

Plug in the power cord and connect the TMC antenna to the headphone jack and you're ready to roll. The TMC hardware is neat works well.

It took a long time to lock on to three satellites, with a fourth appearing a moment later. Selecting a destination was nice and easy as the virtual keyboard is both large and intelligent. As you type in a town or road name, only valid next letters are displayed, while the rest are greyed out. It speeds up the process and the touch screen is fast and responsive.

We found a quirk when we selected miles as the unit of distance, as directions were then displayed in yards, so it was 1,600 yards to the next junction, which is just weird. Surely we all think in metres or fractions of a mile, rather than yards these days.

The real strength of this receiver is the POI search that lets you look up Michelin Guide restaurants and hotels, as well as loads of other places. You get impressively full details, including address, phone number and web address, and the search is based on the last GPS fix, even when you take the unit indoors; however, we noted one local shop was listed which moved premises many years ago.

Despite the high price, the X980T is a clear award winner.

Navman S90i

1203948746

Navman has built up a reputation as the manufacturer of intuitive satellite navigation devices offering unique features. Its S90i (£249 inc. VAT) continues this trend, and is both easy to use and packed with features.

On the front of the device, you'll find a 4.3-inch touchscreen display offering a widescreen layout. This affords plenty of space for displaying maps, while keeping the overall size compact and making it easy to slip into your pocket.

Full postcodes are supported, and we found the onscreen buttons large and easy to use. There's a Points Of Interest (POI) list of over 500,000 destinations, including restaurants, banks, petrol stations and speed cameras. You'll also be able to get directions by selecting a photograph of your destination, using Navman's Navpix technology.

Intergrated camera

You can download images of thousands of famous landmarks, with the location details stored alongside. The S90i also has an integrated camera, so you'll be able to take your own photographs when out and about, making it easy to return to destinations at a later date.

The S90i uses a SiRF Star III GPS (Global Positioning System) chip, which is the latest and most accurate solution. We found it located satellites quickly and kept a strong signal throughout.

Directions were easy to follow and the TeleAtlas maps clear and uncluttered. However, when we strayed off the route, the S90i often insisted we performed a u-turn, rather than simply re-routing us.

Features include a built-in traffic module, along with a product lifetime subscription to updates, allowing you to avoid congestion when out and about. Bluetooth is also integrated, so you'll be able to use the S90i as a hands-free kit for your mobile phone.

It's not the cheapest satellite navigation device, but it offers an impressive features list and does very little wrong.

Panasonic Strada CN-GP50N

1203525539

Panasonic may be known for its household consumer electronics, but it also makes a range of satellite navigation devices. The Strada CN-GP50N (£299 inc. VAT) is a high-end product, offering all the features you'll ever need.

The front of the device is dominated by its 5-inch screen. You won't find any hardware buttons, with all the functions controlled by large onscreen buttons. The keypad features either QWERTY, ABC or the French AZERTY layout.

Voice control

Full postcode searches are supported, and you'll also be able to enter destinations by street or town names. Unusually, you'll also be able to control the Strada using voice, so you'll be able to use it safely while driving. We found satellites were located rapidly, and signal strength was also good. This is due to the use of a SiRF Star III GPS chip, the most accurate adapter available.

Maps for 37 European countries are included as standard, with mapping provided by Navteq. Images were clear and easy to follow, helped by details such as the lane assist function.

Unlike many devices, historical landmarks are exquisitely rendered, with 3D images in place. You'll also find restaurants, banks and other useful locations marked on the maps, with details of around 1.3 million Points Of Interest (POI) included.

Looking good

It's a stylish device, finished in a glossy black. It does attract fingerprints, however. Measuring 30mm in depth, it's also slightly too thick to comfortably pocket when you leave your car.

Features include real-time traffic updates, helping you to avoid congestion. You'll also find Bluetooth in place, letting you use the Panasonic as a hands-free device for your mobile phone.

With detailed and attractive mapping for all of Europe, voice control and Bluetooth, Panasonic's Strada CN-GP50N offers a lot. It's not the cheapest unit available, but it ticks all the right boxes.